Believe in Second Chances
by blk0912
Summary: Searching for Rumple, Emma discovers Neal and finds out why he hasn't been seen in town. When Neal begins to die, Rumple and Emma, along with the help of a few friends, must work together to try to save him. Will they succeed or will all their efforts be for naught?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So...this is my first attempt at any OUAT fanfiction, let alone Swanfire, so I hope no one is too wildly OOC. Basically, this is how I think 3 x 15 should have gone. My AU, or at least the start of it. I hope you all enjoy :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own OUAT. Wish I did, though.

* * *

Once she had accepted her unfortunate fate of being stuck with the pirate as her "guard", Belle decided to put him to work. She didn't need anyone to guard her, she could take care of herself, but she also knew Emma needed to be able to look for Rumple without any hindrances, so she decided to make the best of the situation. With a sigh, she finally addressed the only other person in the shop.

"You might as well make yourself useful," she said, handing him a duster.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hook asked indignantly.

"It means that I'm putting you to work."

"I was instructed to guard you. I shouldn't be distracted."

"I don't need a guard," she informed him. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You, on the other hand, need to stop being in the way."

"I am not 'in the way', as you so kindly put it."

"I disagree. However, I'm not going to stand here and argue with you all day. I have things I need to get done and you're going to help me. After that insincere apology you just muttered a few minutes ago, it's the least you can do to start to make amends. I'm only letting you supposedly guard me as a favor to Emma."

"She shouldn't be out there alone."

Belle rolled her eyes before pointing to the bookshelf in the corner.

"Dust," she commanded.

After nearly a half an hour of dusting, Hook turned to see Belle standing behind the counter, re-arranging various items around her.

"You're not finished," she told him.

"There's no need to be so hostile," he complained.

"You tried to kill me. Multiple times. You also tried to kill Rumple, again multiple times, and you sold Neal to the lost boys when he was just a teenager, condemning him to years on that horrible island. You gained his trust by leading him to believe you thought of him as your son, but the minute you two disagreed on something, that was the end of that. You aided his mother in leaving him, letting him think she was dead, and now you think it's perfectly acceptable to go after the woman he loves. All without uttering a single _sincere_ apology. You might be able to fool some of the other into thinking you've changed and that you want to be a hero now, but you can't fool me. You're still a villain, who also seems to have an unhealthy obsession with Rumple and his family."

"Your precious Rumple isn't exactly innocent himself, you know."

"I'm well aware of everything he's done."

"Yet you still choose to be with him."

"I love him, even the parts that belong to the darkness. I don't agree with his past actions, but he has tried to make amends to those he can and he's a different man now. If you had been in his position, can you really say you would have done things differently? You spent hundreds of years seeking revenge. You wanted to kill Rumple the way he killed Milah."

"Are you always so bloody logical?" Hook demanded, clearly irritated.

"Yes," Belle replied calmly, keeping her face neutral although she could tell she had struck a nerve.

"I loved her. He took her from me. Am I not allowed to be angry about that?"

"I never said that. I don't agree with the fact that you helped Milah deceive her family, and I don't agree with the way Rumple handled things when he found out, but I do think that you must have loved her a great deal."

"What of it? None of it matters now. She's gone and she isn't coming back," Hook snapped before returning to his assigned task.

"Did she love Baelfire?" Belle inquired a few moments later as she cautiously approached him.

"Yes. She would often talk about going back for him."

"Then don't you think she would want you to help find him, to make sure he's happy?"

"I have been helping."

"No. You've been following Emma around and pining after her. You were fighting with Neal and hindering the search for Henry. We're all grateful that you were able to bring Emma back, but that doesn't automatically clear you of any past wrongdoings."

"So you're suggesting I just give up the fight for Emma's heart?"

Belle resisted the urge to roll her eyes again before she answered.

"I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do, but I will tell you that it's clear how Emma and Neal feel about one another. There _is_ no fight for her heart. She's not an object to fight over or to win. She's a living, breathing, human being with feelings. She's the only one who gets to decide who she wants to be with. I know you don't want to see it, and she may not be ready to admit it, but she's already made that decision."

Before either could say anything else, they were interrupted by the sound of Belle's cell phone ringing. As she went to answer it, Hook once again returned to his assigned task, this time thinking about everything she had just said.

* * *

"Emma!"

Hearing her name, Emma turned to see that the person who had called out to her was exactly who she thought it was.

"Neal," she breathed as she quickly made her way over to him.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"Looking for your father-he escaped from the wicked witch. She had him locked in a cellar."

"How do you know he was the one being held there?"

"There was straw and a spinning wheel. It wasn't hard to connect the dots."

"You shouldn't be out here by yourself. What if that witch decided to attack?"

"I can take care of myself."

"I know, but that doesn't mean people can't worry about you."

"By people you mean you?"

"Among others."

Emma smiled a little at Neal's admission. It always surprised her how quickly they could fall back into sync with one another. It was like they'd never been apart.

"So…is Henry here with you?" Neal asked as they began to walk together.

"Yes-he's with my parents right now," Emma answered, pausing before telling Neal the bad news. "There's something you should know about him, though."

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine. It's just…he doesn't remember you. He doesn't have his real memories back yet."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry...I know you want to see him…"

"I'm just happy he's okay. Was he happy in New York?"

"Yes. He was doing well in school and he had a lot of friends there. We had a good life, we were happy. Well, except for the part where I almost married a flying monkey."

"If it makes you feel any better, I was engaged to the minion of my evil grandfather, Peter Pan," Neal replied with a small smile.

Emma returned his smile with one of her own before she spoke again.

"At least I know you understand. I guess we haven't had much luck in love."

"Maybe that means something," Neal commented, watching Emma out of the corner of his eye for her reaction.

"Neal…" Emma began, though she was unsure what exactly she planned on saying. She couldn't deny that she still loved the man in front of her, but it seemed like there was always something getting in the way of them trying to make peace with their past.

"I know this isn't the time or place to talk about everything we need to talk about, but I need you to know that I will always be there for you. Whatever you need, whatever Henry needs, I'll do whatever I can to help."

"I'm still not sure that I also shouldn't be looking for a way to restore Henry's memories."

"Speaking of that, who does he think your parents are? I'm pretty sure he would think you were crazy if you told him they were Snow White and Prince Charming."

"Apparently we were cellmates in jail. She was in for banditry."

"I take it that wasn't your idea?" Neal gathered, unable to help but smile at the story.

"Uh, no. That would my mother's," Emma replied, finding Neal's smile infectious.

"Well, it should make for an interesting story once Henry regains his memories."

"He'll probably just admire her for her creativity."

"True."

* * *

A short while later, when their search turned up no sign of the witch, Emma decided to check in with Belle to see if anything had happened in town. As she was talking to the other woman, she saw Neal fall to his knees as he held his head in his hands.

"Neal!" she cried, her phone falling out of her hand as she rushed to his side.

"Voices, too many voices," Neal chanted as he squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to make snse of what was going on his head.

"What voices? What are you talking about?"

"I can hear my father's voice. It's like he's inside of me…"

As she attempted to comprehend what Neal was telling her, Emma saw his face morph before her eyes. First it was Neal, his pain evident on his face, and then it was a combination of his face and his father's, before finally settling back to just Neal's.

"You have to use your magic, Emma. You have to separate us."

"What? I can't do that. I'll get Regina…"

"You can do this, Emma. I know you can."

Not knowing how much time was left before the voices came back, Emma nodded, taking Neal's hands and clutching them tightly. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the task at hand, just as Rumple had taught her.

"Bae! No!"

At Rumple's words, Emma's eyes flew open. Rumple was now sitting a few feet from his son, who suddenly seemed unnaturally pale.

"Neal!" she exclaimed as he collapsed into her arms.

"Bae!" Rumple repeated, immediately making his way to Neal's side.

"What's happening to him?" Emma demanded.

"I brought him back," Neal answered weakly.

"You can't leave me. Henry hasn't even seen you yet."

"It's okay. I know he'll remember me eventually."

"No, it's not okay," Emma told him as she cradled him closer. Looking up at Rumple with eyes that were quickly filling with tears, she posed her next question. "Isn't there anything you can do?"

"There is one spell that could work…but I need the book that contains it…and that I don't have," Rumple answered regretfully as he clutched his son's hand tightly.

"Emma," Neal whispered, gaining his love's attention again as he pulled a silver chain out of his coat pocket. "I saved this for you. As a reminder of our life together."

Looking at the swan keychain hanging from the chain, Emma felt her tears begin to fall.

"Stop talking like that," she commanded, pressing her forehead to his. "You can't leave me. I need you. Henry needs you. I love you."

"I love you, too. I want you to be happy, to find Tallahassee. Even if it's not with me."

"It will be with you."

* * *

Watching his son and the woman he had hoped would one day be his daughter-in-law together, Rumple felt his heart break for them. He knew they were meant for each other, and that if one were to die, it would leave a whole in the other's heart that no one else would ever be able to fill. If only he had a way to get them all back to his shop in time. He was sure there was something there that could help. He debated calling Belle, but he had no idea where his cell phone was and he wasn't going to interrupt Emma to ask to use hers. When he heard her voice a few moments later, he could have sworn he was hearing things.

"Belle?" he asked when he saw her approach, Ruby not far behind her.

"When I heard Emma scream, I knew something was wrong. I had to find Emma. Ruby helped me track her."

"I need to get Bae back to the shop. It's the only way I can help him."

"Is there time for that?" Ruby wondered.

"The only way to stop him from dying right now is a sleeping potion," Rumple answered.

"I thought Emma might need some magical help as well, so I grabbed what I could find in a short amount of time," Belle told him, holding up his potion case.

Reaching for the case, Rumple quickly unlocked it and then found what he was looking for.

"Emma," he said, addressing the blonde haired woman at his son's side. When she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes that clearly reflected how she was feeling, he struggled to keep himself composed. "Have him drink this."

Knowing there was no time to argue, Emma took the small vile from Rumple and held it up to Neal's lips.

"Drink this," she commanded in the best no-nonsense tone she could manage. When Neal did what she asked, only to close his eyes and slump against her a few moments later, she raised her eyes to Rumple once more. "What did you do to him?"

"It's a sleeping curse," he explained. "It's the only thing I could think of that would buy us some time."

"How are we going to get him back to the shop?" Belle asked as she stood.

"I could go get David and a couple of the others," Ruby volunteered.

"I'll go with you."

* * *

When she returned to the shop to check on Hook, Belle was surprised to find everything still in its place and that he was still dusting.

"Did you find Emma?" he asked.

"Yes. She found Neal…and Rumple. It's a long story. He's under a sleeping curse right now, to stop him from dying. We need to get him back here so Rumple can find a way to completely stop him from dying. If you want to be a hero so badly and if you truly care about Neal, now would be a good time to start helping."

"You want me to carry Neal back here?"

"To help do that, yes. Ruby went to get David. I'm sure between the two of you, it's manageable."

"Right," Hook replied. "Lead on, then, milady."

"I was a princess back home, actually," Belle corrected as she opened the door, quickly locking it after Hook had joined her outside. "We're supposed to meet Ruby at the diner, so let's go."

* * *

Running into the diner, Ruby was disappointed when she saw that David, Snow, and Henry had already left.

"What's the rush, girl?" Granny asked.

"It's Neal. He needs help. We need to get him back to Gold's shop. I came back to get David, but he already left."

"You found Neal?" a new voice asked from a short distance away.

"Emma did, really, but yes," Ruby answered. "Who are you?"

"I'm Robin, a friend of Neal's from back home. If your Granny is willing to keep an eye on my son, I'll help you."

"Will you, Granny?" Ruby asked her grandmother.

"Of course. Now, go. The sooner you get back, the better."

Ruby nodded, waiting as patiently as she could while Robin exchanged a few short words with his son before joining her at the front of the diner. As they exited the building, they saw Hook and Belle approach. Within minutes, the foursome was quickly returning to the forest where Neal, Emma, and Rumple were waiting.

* * *

As they waited for Belle and Ruby to return with help, Emma and Rumple sat in silence, neither really sure what to say to the other.

"What is that?" Rumple inquired, breaking the silence and nodding his head towards the chain Emma was clutching in her hand.

"It's a keychain Neal got for me when we first together," Emma answered softly. "I put it on a chain years ago and I wore it as a necklace. I told myself it was a reminder to never let myself get hurt like that again, but that's not true. I kept hoping he would come back to me, that we tell me he regretted leaving me and that he wanted to be with me."

"You love him. Why are you not willing to be with him?"

"It's not that simple. Our past is…complicated."

"Whose isn't?" Rumple countered. "If you truly love each other, you'll work through it."

Emma looked down at the man currently in a sleep-like state in her arms. She knew that she loved him, but facing all of the feelings that talking about their past would bring up scared the hell out of her. Regardless of whether or not they decided to give their romantic relationship another chance, they would still have to hash everything out eventually.

"Do you really believe that?" Emma asked him softly.

"Yes. Being with Belle has made me realize what it's like to truly love someone and to be loved in return. I can only hope that my son will feel that way about me again someday."

"He loves you. He wants to forgive you. He always sees the good in people. I guess that's where Henry gets his optimism from."

"He always did remind me of Bae," Rumple admitted. "It just never occurred to me that you two would have met, let alone have a child together, so I never thought anything of it."

"Henry wasn't exactly planned, but I can't regret having him. He's a part of me, a part of Neal. He seems to take after his father mostly, though. I don't want to have to tell him his father is dead. Not again. I won't."

"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen, even if I have to give my own life in the process."

"He'd be devastated. I know he was heartbroken when you died, but he tried to be strong for Henry and for Belle."

"You know so much about him, and yet you can't see that being with him would be worth it?"

"I know it would be," Emma said softly, hugging Neal close. "I'm just scared."

"If true love was easy, everyone would have it."

Emma nodded, knowing that if she tried to talk again she would end up crying again. She needed to be strong. They would find a way to save him. As wary as of using it as she still was, she would use whatever magical pull she could muster if it meant he wouldn't die.

* * *

When the group of four reached the group of three in the forest, questions immediately flew.

"What happened to him?" Hook asked.

"Is he going to be okay?" Robin wondered.

"He tried to sacrifice his life for mine, but I was able to temporarily save him by absorbing him using the magic from my dagger," Rumple explained. "I put him under a sleeping curse to stop him from dying this time around."

"Well, well, well, isn't this a touching family reunion," a voice, seemingly from out of nowhere, cackled. "It's really too bad I have to interrupt it."

"What the hell?" Emma demanded.

"It's the witch," Rumple told her. "Zelena. She's the witch."

At Rumple's revelation, Emma's head shot up.

"My parents," she said.

"I'm on it," Ruby told her. "Don't worry. You take care of Neal."

"Get Regina."

Ruby nodded, wishing her friends luck before she began to run back to town, hoping she would get there in time. She wasn't going to let anything happen to one of her best friends if she could help it. Even though Snow's quick to trust nature was one of the things she liked most about her, and what had allowed their friendship to form in the first place, it could also get her into trouble quite easily.

* * *

After Hook, Robin, and Emma had helped carry Neal to the car parked at the edge of the woods, Belle turned to own love to see that he seemed to be struggling against something.

"Rumple!" she cried.

"The dagger," he managed to reply before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"No!"

"What happened?" Robin asked as he approached.

"He disappeared. He said something about the dagger and then he disappeared."

"What dagger?"

"The one that has the power to control him," Hook answered. "The witch must have it."

At Hook's words, Belle suddenly felt dizzy. Clutching her head, she leaned against Robin for support as images flashed before her eyes. She saw herself and Neal in the library of the castle in the Enchanted Forest, and then finally what happened to the dagger after Rumple had used it to save his son.

"Belle?" Robin asked a few moments later, when she seemed to be better.

"I remember what happened. I think I know what Rumple was going to do to save Neal. We need to go back to the shop. Then I'm going to get that dagger. 'Are you Mrs. Gold?' she asks. She knew exactly who I was. She's not going to get away with this."

"Then let's get going. The sooner we save Neal, the sooner we can save his father."

Belle nodded, walking over to where Emma stood near Rumple's car. She could see Neal lying in the back seat.

"I want you to take my car back to town, I need to stay with Neal," Emma said, handing her keys to the other woman. "Take Hook, will you? I'm sorry to do this to you again, but I know you can keep him in line."

Belle smiled and nodded, now aware of Emma's true motive for leaving Hook with her in the first place. Walking over to the pirate in question, she grabbed his coat sleeve and began leading him towards Emma's yellow bug.

"If you want to sit with him, I can drive," Robin volunteered.

"Thanks," Emma replied, gently moving Neal's head onto her lap as she slid into the backseat.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Here's part 2. Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited the first chapter. Also a thank you to those I've chatted with or who answered my posts on tumblr for kind of serving as a sounding board for parts of this chapter. I hope you all enjoy :)

* * *

Sitting in the back of the car with Neal, Emma found herself wondering how Robin learned to drive. She hadn't thought anything of it when he offered to drive-she figured he was just being nice. He was Neal's friend, after all, and her intuition wasn't sending up red flags.

"I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but how did you learn to drive exactly?" Emma wondered out loud.

"I'm not really sure myself," Robin answered with a small chuckle. "I assume it occurred sometime during the year most of us don't remember, or that it was part of the curse. All I know is that I found myself offering to drive for you before I really knew what I was saying. It never occurred to me that I wouldn't know how to do this."

"At this point, I'm not really sure what's real and what's just a fantasy, just part of the curse."

"I understand. I just hope your plan works. Neal has become like family to Roland and me, and I know how much he wanted to get back to you and Henry."

"There's no Tallahassee without him," Emma muttered, not realizing she had spoken out loud until Robin spoke again.

"What do you mean 'there's no Tallahassee without him'?" he inquired.

"When we were younger…we were going to settle in Tallahassee. Make it our home. It wasn't meant to be, I guess."

"Maybe not then, in that way, in that particular city, but if you and Neal were meant to be together, you'll find a way to make wherever you are into a home. Home isn't necessarily a particular physical place, but more being with those you love. You have family and friends here. Maybe your Tallahassee is in Storybrooke, maybe even the enchanted forest."

"Maybe," Emma agreed, looking down at Neal's face and wishing he'd wake up and smile at her, tell her that he loved her, let her apologize to him.

"I have faith in you, Emma," Robin told her. "I know Neal does, too, even though he can't say it. We'll find a way to fix this and bring him back to us."

Emma nodded, not trusting her voice to say anything else. She wasn't usually this emotional, but Neal always did have a way of breaking down her walls. She loved him with everything she had and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to do everything she could to bring him back and keep him with her.

* * *

"You're awfully quiet for someone who always seems to need to be a part of every conversation, of pretty much anything that's been happening as of late," Belle commented as she and Hook drove to Rumple's shop.

"I wasn't aware being quiet was a crime," Hook retorted irritably.

"I never said it was. It just seemed unusual, that's all."

"Did Neal tell you what happened when he found himself aboard my ship?"

"No. We haven't exactly had a lot of time to talk. The enchanted forest trip was the longest we've talked, and even then, we were concentrating on trying to find Rumple. Why do you ask?"

"I sold him to the lost boys, who were working for Pan, who turned out to be his grandfather."

"Why would you do something like that? He was just a boy!"

"I know that!"

"Then why did you do it?! What could he _possibly_ have done to you to make you do something like that to him?"

"He angered me."

"That's no reason to do something so horrible. He was a child, looking for comfort, looking for answers. Instead, he found himself sold to his evil grandfather's minions. All for what? Because of some revenge-filled hatred you had towards his father? Neal is not Rumple, just like Rumple is not Malcolm. You stole Rumple's wife, how did you expect him to react?"

"I didn't steal her. She left of her own free will."

"Yes, and you helped her. You helped a mother leave her child. Did you honestly think Neal wouldn't be mad at you for that? You robbed him of his mother."

"Actually, that would be his father that did that. Considering he's the one who ripped her heart out and crushed it."

"You're both guilty. You helped her leave. You didn't try to stop her from letting her son think she was dead. How could you do that?"

"How could I let the woman I loved stay in that hell?" Hook countered.

"I understand that she was unhappy, that she wanted to leave, but to just…disappear…like that? I guess I'll never understand," Belle replied with a sigh before changing the subject. "We're here now, anyway. I'll get the bed in the back ready, and you can help Robin and Emma with Neal."

* * *

_I must be hallucinating_

That was the first thought that went through Neal's head when he looked at his surroundings. He was in a house, which seemed familiar although he had never seen it before.

"Baelfire?" a familiar voice asked as she approached.

"Mama?" Neal replied, immediately recognizing the voice despite the fact that it had been hundreds of years since he'd heard it.

"You've grown up into a handsome man."

"Where am I?"

"In a limbo of sorts. You aren't completely alive, but you're not completely dead."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm not really sure myself, to be honest. I'm going to guess it's because you want some answers from me, though."

"Why did you leave? Was I not a good enough son? Did you not love me?"

Milah sighed, reaching up to cup Neal's cheek with her hand as she spoke.

"Baelfire. My strong, selfless Baelfire. I loved you very much, but I was unhappy with my life. My unhappiness outweighed my love for you. I wanted to be happy, but I was miserable. When Killian gave me a way out…I took it without really thinking it through. I knew I had to make a choice, and I made the selfish one."

"Did you ever love Papa?"

"At one point, I thought I did. I thought we were happy for a while, until the Ogre wars happened and he listened to the prophecy from that seer. I couldn't stand being tied to the village coward. That wasn't what I pictured my life would be like."

"I never pictured that I would end up falling in love with the savior and we'd have a son together, but I'm not going to just run away and leave them."

"I know. That's what makes you a better person than I was. I regret leaving you, but I love Killian. We were happy together, and we wanted you to be part of that."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"You don't need to say anything," Milah told him with a regretful smile. "I just needed you to know why I made the choice that I did, and I think you needed to know for yourself. One less thing to wonder about."

"Okay, I'll give you that," Neal agreed, "but I still don't understand why I'm here."

"Like I said-it's a limbo. That potion you drank essentially put your life on hold. Neither alive nor dead."

"Why am I not in a burning red room?"

"A side effect of whatever magic you used to save your father, I assume. You'll have to ask him. I'm only an observer. I never actively practiced magic."

"You've been…watching…me?"

"Sort of. I see bits and pieces of your life, enough to know that you found love and that love produced a child."

"The reason for the curse and the savior," Neal muttered.

"Fate," Milah replied. "I think that necklace you gave her is proof of that. As your father's girlfriend told you, it survived because it was born of true love. I could see how happy you two were together, I wanted so badly for you to be able to keep that happiness."

"Yeah, me, too."

"I think you will. She seems like a very determined woman."

"She is."

"Then believe that she can find a way to fix this. I spent a lot of years hating your father, but he gave me you, so I can't hate him completely. I found love with Killain, and he found it with Belle. His happy ending includes you, Baelfire. You have to know that."

"Why didn't yours?"

"I never got my happy ending. I was too selfish. You, however, have grown into a _good_ man. You want to see the good in people. You aren't meant to be here yet. You have so much of your life left to live."

* * *

After getting Neal settled on the bed in the back room of the shop, Robin and Hook turned to the other two occupants of the room.

"Well, does anyone have a plan?" Robin wondered.

"There has to be a counter spell or something, right?" Emma asked, directing her question at Belle.

"I would guess so," Belle replied. "However, I'm not sure how much time we have or where to start looking. I'm not exactly fond of her, but I think Regina could be of use in this particular situation. Maybe we should ask her to come here and help."

Emma sighed, looking around the room and studying various book titles as she contemplated Belle's suggestion. She didn't want to put the woman who had never been anything but warm and welcoming towards her in the same room with the woman who had done horrible things to her, but she wasn't sure they had a choice.

"Are you really okay with that?" Emma asked her.

"She might be able to help bring Neal back, and I know what that would mean to Rumple, and to you and Henry and everyone else who loves him. I can't deny him that chance."

Emma nodded as she took out her phone to call the only person she knew that could come close to Rumple's level of magical knowledge.

* * *

After a few hours of searching, Emma was getting increasingly worried that they wouldn't be able to save Neal. She was being overly emotional when she knew she shouldn't be. She was somehow not surprised to find herself enveloped in a hug from Belle a few moments later.

"We're going to find a way to get him back," she said confidently. "Then we're going to get Rumple and our town back from that wicked witch."

"I think I may have found something," Hook said from a few feet away, where he sat with a large book in his lap. Knowing they would need all the help they could get, all of the able-bodied occupants of the pawnshop had been put to work looking for anything that might be able to help Neal.

"What is it?" Regina asked, walking over to read the page Hook indicated.

"Will it work?" Robin inquired.

"Yes, but only if someone else sacrifices their life for Neal's. He sacrificed his for his father's. The dark magic wants a sacrifice. It will only release Neal's life when it receives another in return."

"Are you sure that's the only way?" Belle wondered.

"I was hoping we'd find something else, but from my understanding and from the readings I found, this is the only way," Regina answered.

"Great," Emma said sarcastically. "I'd say let's sacrifice the wicked witch, but we can't even find her, and we don't know how much time Neal has left."

"I thought the sleeping curse kind of put his life on hold, for lack of a better way to put it?" Belle said, looking back and forth between Emma and Regina as she spoke.

"I only know how it works under normal conditions," Regina replied. "I have no clue how it works in conjunction with whatever was done to him in the first place. Theoretically, it should last until he receives true love's kiss, but that's just the sleeping curse itself."

As the women discussed the two curses, Robin noticed Hook had once again begun writing on a piece of paper he'd been given earlier. Figuring that the older man wasn't just taking notes, he leaned over to see what was being written.

"Why are you writing your final wishes?" He asked, his question getting the attention of the other three.

"You need a life," Hook stated simply. "Baelfire doesn't deserve to have his life cut short. He has a son who deserves to get to know his father, and a life to build with the woman he loves. I thought I could move on from my Milah, but I was wrong. I am fond of you, Emma, but I could never love anyone the way that I loved her. She was my true love. If I give my life, maybe I'll get to be with her again in the afterlife, and I figure that's about as heroic as I'm ever going to get."

"Are you serious?" Emma demanded. "Because if you're not, I'll kill you myself and sacrifice you anyway."

"I assure you, Miss Swan, I'm serious. I only ask that my final requests are met."

"What are these _requests_?" Regina asked skeptically.

"I want to be buried at sea. It was how Milah and I decided we wanted to be buried long ago."

"I think we handle that," Emma told him. "Is there anything else?"

"If I don't get a chance to tell him myself, I want Baelfire to know that I'm sorry. I've been selfish for so long that I lost sight of what was important. I've had a chance to have a life with my love, and he deserves that chance, too. I wanted to find that love again, but I realize now that it's not possible. You only find that kind of love once. Sacrificing my life won't right my past wrongs, but maybe at least I'll be able to be with my brother and Milah in the afterlife."

"I think you will," Belle said softly, tears forming in her eyes. She knew she shouldn't feel sympathy for the man before her, he'd done a lot of awful things, but she could understand his feelings for Milah, about wanting to be with his loved ones in the afterlife. It was those things that made her sympathize with him.

"You're doing the right thing," Robin told the other man. "I know Neal will appreciate it."

Hook nodded, not wanting to talk anymore. He just wanted to get this over with.

"So, what do I need to do?" he asked, directing his question at Regina.

* * *

After getting settled in a makeshift bed near the one Neal was currently lying in, Hook looked up at the dark-haired woman standing next to him.

"Go ahead," he told her.

"Thank you," Emma said, kneeling down to hug him before she got up to stand between Regina and Belle.

"Do we wake him up before or after we do this?" Robin asked.

"Before," Regina replied. "This part is all you, Emma."

Emma nodded, walking over to the bed and taking a seat before leaning over to press her lips to Neal's. Within seconds, he was taking a gasping breath as he locked eyes with Emma.

"We found a way to save you, just hang on for a little while longer," she told him, taking his hand and lacing their fingers together. "I'm not letting you leave me again."

Neal nodded in agreement even though he was clueless as to what was going on. He trusted Emma and knew better than to question her. He vaguely heard Regina saying a spell and then heard the clunk of Killian's hook as his hand fell limp to the ground before he felt the life rush back into his own body.

"What happened? What did you do?" Neal demanded, looking down and seeing Hook's now lifeless body on the floor.

"He sacrificed his life for yours," Belle explained. "He wanted to be a hero, and this was the most heroic thing he could think of to do."

He was stopped from saying anything else when Emma launched herself at him, surprising him so much he really wasn't sure what to say. He ended up settling for her name.

"Emma," he said, hoping to get her attention.

"It worked," she replied. "It really worked. You're alive."

"What worked? Regina's spell?"

"Well, yes, but I mean breaking the sleeping curse. It worked."

"Did you doubt it would?"

"I wasn't sure," Emma answered honestly, lowering her head a little. "I wanted it to, but I wasn't sure."

"It's like your necklace," Neal told her, cupping her chin in his hand to get her to look at him again. "Born of true love. I love you, Emma."

"I love you, too."

"I hate to break up the romantic reunion," Regina said from the other side of the room, "but we need to get him out of here and then we need to concentrate on finding this witch."

"I'll call David," Belle volunteered as she took her phone out of her pocket. Before she hit the button that would connect her call, she turned to the man she already considered her son. "It's good to have you back, Neal."

* * *

When he arrived in what he assumed was his afterlife, Hook felt like he was in a dream. He wasn't dressed as a pirate anymore, but in clothes similar to those he'd worn when he had been in the navy with his brother, and he had both of his hands again. He was standing on a dock, surrounded by boats, and he felt himself being pulled further down the dock, towards a ship that was looking more and more like the Jolly Roger. When he stepped onto its deck, he was surprised by what he found.

"Milah? Liam?" he asked, not sure he should believe his eyes.

"About time you got here, little brother," Liam told him with a smile, walking over to hug him.

"Thank you," Milah added as she, too, approached. "You gave my son a second chance at life."

"Because of your sacrifice, you are able to live out the life you wanted to have. High seas adventures and the like."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Hook asked Milah.

"I wanted a life with you, Killian. I'm getting a chance at that now. Your brother was important to you and you loved him, which is why he's here, too."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

* * *

While they waited for her parents, Emma stuck to Neal's side as he stood and began to walk around, with Belle, Regina, and Robin not far behind. She knew they still needed to talk, but for right now, she wanted to make sure he wasn't going to leave her again. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, followed by Henry's excited voice.

"Mom! Dad!" he shouted, making a beeline for Emma and Neal.

"I thought you said he didn't remember me?" Neal asked Emma quietly before being enveloped in the second fierce hug of the day-this one from his son.

"He has his memories back," Snow explained as she and David approached.

"How?" Emma asked, looking at the various other people in the room to see if they could answer her question.

"It must have been true love's kiss," Belle theorized. "My guess is that because he was also born of true love, that when the kiss woke Neal, it also woke Henry's memories. It was his trigger."

"I'm happy to see you, too, buddy, but I think your other mom deserves a thank you as well," Neal told his son, who much like his mother, didn't seem to want to leave his side.

With a nod, Henry quickly made his way over to Regina.

"Thank you," he told her before giving her a hug.

"I just wanted you to be safe and happy, Henry, I hope you know that," she said to him as she ran her hand over his hair.

"I know."

"So, what do we do now?" Robin asked.

"Who are you?" Henry returned.

"Henry, this is Robin Hood. He's a family friend," Regina explained.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Henry," Robin told him, holding out his hand for Henry to shake.

"Nice to meet you, too," Henry replied as he shook Robin's hand.

"I was thinking I could treat you to dinner at Granny's," Regina said to her son. "We can catch up. If that's okay with you."

"Can I?" Henry asked, his question directed at his other two parents.

"Sure, kid," Emma replied. "Your dad and I have some things we need to take care of. I'll come get you later."

After hugging Emma and Neal once more, Henry left the shop with Regina.

"I thought you said Emma was Henry's mother?" Robin said to Neal, clearly confused.

"She is," Neal replied. "Regina adopted him as a baby."

"He's made it clear he wants her in his life, too," Emma added. "She helped me answer a question I've had for a long time. It was kind of nice to know we would have been happy. I figured she deserves time with Henry, too, now that he remembers who she is."

Robin nodded in understanding before he spoke again.

"So, let's get this over with, shall we?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** So...I know it's been a while since I updated this, but in my defense, I had a lot to do for school over the last few weeks. I'm on the fence about whether or not I want this to be the end of this fic or if I want to continue-have them break the curse, rescue rumple, etc. Let me know what you think. Anyway, I finally had some time to write, so here's part 3. I hope you all enjoy :)

* * *

"Are you sure you remember how to navigate this thing?" Emma asked Neal as their group approached the Jolly Roger.

"If I can remember after a few hundred years, I'm pretty sure I can remember after a few weeks," Neal replied.

"Good point."

Looking at Emma out of the corner of his eye, Neal could tell something was bothering her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You seem kind of on edge."

"I'm fine," Emma lied.

"Come on, Emma, I know you better than that. What's going on?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now. Let's just get this over with."

Neal nodded as he and Robin carried Hook's now lifeless body, following closely behind Emma and Belle.

* * *

After both he and Regina had placed their order with Ruby, Henry turned to his mother and asked his first question.

"Why isn't everyone still in the enchanted forest?" he wondered.

"There was another curse. We ended up back here, but we can't remember how," Regina explained.

"How do we break this new curse?"

"I'm…not sure. I do need to tell you something about the witch who cast it, though."

"Is she in my book, too?"

"She could be. You've probably already heard of her, though. She's the wicked witch."

"Like in the Wizard of Oz?"

"Yes. Only there's a bit of a twist this time."

"What's that?"

"She's my older sister."

"Which makes her my aunt."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me before? I thought you were an only child like me?"

"I thought I was, too. I didn't find out about her until not long before she cast the curse."

"I wish I had my book. I want to see if she's in it. If she is, maybe there's something in there about how to defeat her."

"I'll get it for you after we've finished eating. Enough about the curse, though. I want to know about your life in New York. Emma mentioned you liked math the most?"

Henry smiled and nodded, beginning to fill his adoptive mother in on the life he'd had with his biological one.

* * *

Once they had gone a ways out to sea, Neal gave Robin the okay to drop the anchor that would keep the ship in place while they buried Hook.

"You're sure this is what he wanted?" Belle asked as Robin and Neal lifted Hook's body.

"Yes," Robin answered. "He told me himself, and he wrote his final wishes on the paper you gave him back in the shop."

"Where are these papers now?" Emma wondered.

"They're at the shop," Belle answered. "I checked his pockets before we brought him here. They were folded and I didn't open them. I assumed they were notes of some kind from when we were looking for a spell."

Emma nodded, watching silently as the two men lowered Hook's body into the sea, sending him a silent thank you for helping her save Neal and smiling a little when she saw Neal mouth a thank you of his own.

* * *

"So…what do we with the ship now?' Robin asked as he, Emma, Neal, and Belle returned to the pawnshop.

"I think we should keep it," Neal replied. "In case we need to cross any more worlds."

"That's what he wanted," Belle added, holding up the pieces of paper that contained Hook's last wishes on them after she'd quickly skimmed them. "He also wrote that he hopes Neal will continue to teach Henry how to navigate it."

"Is there any information on the witch?" Emma inquired.

"Not much. Just that she's Regina's sister, Cora's daughter, and that she's jealous of Regina."

"Cora was crazy and obviously did a number on Regina herself, why in the world would anyone be jealous of that?"

Belle shrugged in response before she spoke.

"I'm not sure. The only thing I can think of is that maybe she thinks things would have been different if she had grown up with her mother, but Archie would probably have more of an idea than anyone. He's the psychologist."

"Psychoanalyze the witch. I'm not sure how well that will work, but it's better than what we've got now," Emma said with a sigh. "For now, I need to get Henry and then check on my parents."

"I could get him and bring him to you," Neal offered.

"I told him we'd both meet him at Granny's, and you know how that kid is with remembering details."

Neal nodded, hugging both Belle and Robin before he left with Emma.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" Robin asked Belle.

"I think I'm just going to stay here. It's too lonely in that big house with no one else there."

"Okay, well Roland and I have been staying at the inn, so I'm not far away if you need anything."

"Thank you."

* * *

"So, are you going to tell me what was going on in that head of yours earlier?" Neal wondered as he and Emma began to walk towards Granny's.

Emma sighed, sticking her hands in her jacket pockets before she began to speak.

"I know that our love played a big part in saving you, but we can't just get back together. It's not that simple."

"Look, I know we have a lot to work through, but I'm not going anywhere. I told you before you and Henry left for New York that this isn't over. I asked you to lunch that one day to see if you still wanted to give us a chance. I put the ball in your court, as the saying goes."

"I was scared. David ended up finding me and we talked for a little while. I was on my way to meet you when everything went to hell."

"You were?"

Emma stopped walking and turned to face Neal before she spoke again.

"Yes. I love you, but it hurt when you left me all those years ago and it hurt to see you with Tamara. It was like seeing my dream life play out before me and all I could do was watch someone else get _my_ happy ending. _My _Tallahassee."

"I love you, too, and I'm sorry. For everything. I know that doesn't make up for what I did, but I need apologize, for you to hear those words from me, at the very least. I tried to move on with Tamara, and I thought we were happy, but then you came crashing back into my life. Literally. I knew the moment I saw you again that I was only fooling myself. I kept trying to deny it, to tell myself that Tamara and I were happy together. But it wasn't true. I was deluding myself. The whole time, I wanted to be with you. For you, me, and Henry to be the family we were supposed to be. I still want that. I want our Tallahassee, Emma."

"So do I," Emma whispered tearfully. "I just don't know how we go about finding that."

"We'll figure it out, take things as they come. I'll be by your side, helping however I can. We have a lot to work through, but as hard as it'll be, I'm willing to do it if it means I get you in the end."

"What about Henry?"

"Of course I want Henry, too. He's my son. Even if he wasn't, I get that you two are a packaged deal."

"I'm the savior. I don't get a day off. My life isn't normal."

"I'm the son of the dark one," Neal countered, making Emma smile a little. "So our family is made up of the people this world considers fairytale characters. We'll make it work."

"How?"

"I told you-take it one step at a time. Right now, we need to figure out how to break this curse. Considering our son was responsible for breaking the first one, I think we should enlist his help."

"Operation Cobra," Emma said softly.

"Operation…what?"

"Operation Cobra. It's what he calls it."

Neal laughed, pulling Emma close to hug her tightly.

"I think I'm actually beginning to like this life better," he told her.

"Why is that?" Emma wondered as she returned the hug, silently relishing in the feeling of being in his arms again.

"First of all, I loved the life we had, and we could have had a good life. However, neither of us has to break the law to survive anymore and we both have family here. You found out why your parents gave you up."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was born in the enchanted forest," Emma commented as she and Neal began to walk again, keeping an arm around his waist as he kept one around her shoulders.

"A magical princess," Neal added.

"I know you're not a big fan of magic…but I want to continue learning how to use mine."

"I figured as much. I just want you to be careful, Emma. That's all I ask. I'll support you, but I want you to be careful."

"I'll be careful," Emma promised. After a few moments of silence, she spoke again. "Do you think Henry has magic? Since he's another product of true love and all."

"At this point, I'm not sure there's much of anything that could surprise me."

* * *

Walking into the diner, Emma and Neal were surprised to see Henry talking to another little boy.

"Do you know who that is?" Emma asked Neal.

"That's Robin's son, Roland," he replied.

"He and Henry seem to be fast friends."

"I have a feeling they might end up being step-brothers someday."

"What makes you say that?"

"Regina and Robin met when we all had to go back to the enchanted forest. She saved Roland from some flying monkeys. You'll have to ask your mom about the rest. Belle and I went off on our own shortly after that."

"No more stupid moves, by the way," Emma told him. "I thought I lost you twice already, with a strong possibility of a third. I can't lose you again."

"I'm not going anywhere," Neal promised as they walked over to their son and his newest friend.

* * *

"Is everything okay here?" Emma asked her father as she, Henry, and Neal returned to the apartment.

"Just fine," David answered as he hugged her. "Your mother is resting upstairs. She was worried about the three of you."

"Come on, kid, let's go see her."

"I want to stay with Dad and Grandpa," Henry protested.

"You know your grandma will want to see for herself that you're okay," David reminded his grandson.

"That's true."

David smiled as he watched his daughter and grandson make their way upstairs. Once they were out of sight, he turned to the man at his side.

"It's good to see you again, Neal," he told him. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel…normal, I guess," Neal answered. "I don't feel any different than I did before. Aside from the whole not dying thing."

David chuckled as he nodded in understanding.

"How about some coffee? I'm interested to hear how they saved you."

"Sure," Neal agreed, following the man he hoped would one day be his father-in-law.

* * *

"Emma, Henry," Snow said with a smile as she saw her daughter and grandson.

"We're fine, Grandma," Henry told her as he climbed up on the bed beside her. "How's the baby?"

"Finally calm. He was quite active earlier."

"He?" Emma asked, taking a seat on the end of the bed.

"Just a feeling I have," Snow replied before turning to her grandson. "I see you got your book back."

"Regina gave it back to me after dinner."

"There's not anything about the witch in there, is there?" Emma asked her son.

"No. I looked earlier."

"How much did Regina tell you about her?" Snow inquired.

"Everything she knew. Operation Cobra is back on."

"You're entirely too excited about this," Emma told him.

"Dad can help us, right?" Henry asked his mother, ignoring her comment.

"Sure, kid."

Surprised by Emma's response, Snow sent her daughter a confused look.

"I'll fill you in later," Emma told her.

"This means I go back to school here, don't I?" Henry asked.

"I don't know if that's a good idea. It's not exactly safe for you to be by yourself. Not with this witch running around."

"I could teach him," Snow volunteered. "I don't know what he was working on in New York, but I could try to start where he left off. That way he doesn't fall behind."

"Can she, Mom? Please?" Henry pleaded.

"We'll give it a try, if it's okay with your dad and Regina. You have to do what she says, though, just like if she were your actual teacher again."

"I will."

* * *

Once Neal had filled him in on what had happened in the last few hours, David sat back in his seat and let out a breath.

"That's quite the adventure. It sounds like something out of Henry's book," he said.

"My thoughts exactly."

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to stay in town or go back to New York?"

"I have some things there that I'd like to go back and get eventually, but I want to be wherever Emma and Henry are. Both of our families are here, this is where Henry wants to be, and as much as she might protest sometimes, I know this is where Emma wants to be too. So this is where I'll be."

"Where are you planning on living?"

"I'm not sure yet. Maybe I can talk Regina into conjuring a place for me. She created this town, after all. I could always live with Belle and my father, I guess, but I'd rather have my own place."

"That's understandable," David replied. "I'm glad you'll be sticking around. Have you told Henry yet?"

"Yeah, we told him on the way here. He was pretty excited."

"I bet, especially considering the fact that he remembers meeting you now."

"What happened when he remembered? He said all he remembers is saying "grandma" and "grandpa" to get the attention of you and Snow."

"That's pretty much it. There was the usual true love's kiss rainbow light, but other than that, what Henry told you is all that happened. He wanted to know if we knew where you and Emma were. We told him we weren't sure where you were, but that Emma was helping Belle at the pawnshop. He insisted we take him there, and you know the rest."

* * *

After talking with Neal for a little while longer, David noticed Emma walking back downstairs.

"Is that coffee?" she asked as she approached, pointing to the pot that sat on the table between the two men.

"Yes. I'll get you a cup," David replied, smiling a little bit to himself when he noticed Emma take a seat next to Neal.

"How's your mom?" Neal asked once Emma had taken her seat.

"Good. She's watching a movie with Henry. She's also going to be his teacher again, starting Monday."

"She can't go back to teaching yet," David protested as he poured coffee into a cup and then handed it to his daughter.

"She's not teaching anyone but Henry, and it'll most likely be here. She'll still be able to rest, and Henry won't fall behind. They both seemed excited about the arrangement. I told him I'd have to talk to Neal and Regina before I gave them the green light. He promised to listen to her like he would any other teacher," Emma explained.

"Well, Neal, what do you think?" David asked, wondering if Emma caught the look of surprise on the other man's face when she mentioned wanting his input regarding Henry.

"If they both want to do it, and he does what he says in regards to listening to her, I think it would be a good arrangement. It's not exactly safe for him out there right now and it's not fair to him to let him fall behind in school because of circumstances out of his control. I can't see Regina objecting to it, either," Neal replied.

"I need to talk to her about a place for Henry and me to live anyway, so I guess I'll just get her input then. Plus I have to figure out how to break this damn curse."

"We," Neal corrected her. "We have to figure out how to break this damn curse."

Emma smiled a little at Neal's correction of her phrase before she spoke again.

"Okay, we, but still. I have no idea where to even begin."

"I could ask Belle for the key to the library. Maybe there's something there."

"I don't know if there's anything there that could help, but it's better than sitting around here wracking my brain."

"You should get some rest," David told her. "Being tired isn't going to help anyone."

"I'm fine," Emma assured him, "but I promise to get some rest later."

"I'm holding you to that. I think I'm going to go join your mother and Henry for that movie. I'll see you in the morning, Emma, and thanks for the talk, Neal."

* * *

Once her father had gone upstairs, Emma turned to the man beside her.

"What did you and David talk about?" she wondered.

"I just filled him in on what happened today. He asked what my plans were."

"Plans for what?"

"For where I'm going to live. I told him that wherever you and Henry are is where I'll be."

Emma nodded before she spoke again.

"I was thinking maybe we could have that lunch tomorrow? Henry can stay with my parents or spend some more time with Regina."

"I'd like that. I'll meet you there around noon," Neal told her, leaning over to brush his lips with hers before he stood. "I'm going to go say goodnight to Henry. You should do what your dad suggested and get some rest."

Emma nodded, walking towards the suitcase where most of her clothes still were. She paused when she heard Neal say her name again, turning around to see what he needed.

"I love you," he told her with a smile.

"I love you, too," she replied, returning his smile.

Even though she and Neal weren't exactly a couple again yet, she knew she'd never be with anyone else. He was her true love and she wanted to be with him. They had a lot to work through, and while that admittedly scared her, she remembered her father telling her that true love was difficult because if it wasn't, everyone would have it. She was determined to find Tallahassee. She had her family, her friends, her son, and her love. Now all she had to do was find a way to break the curse. Then maybe, just maybe, they could all find happiness again.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** First of all, I want to say thank you to those of you who reviewed, I very much appreciate it. That being said, I am going to attempt to continue this. I just started my last semester of college and I have a couple of other (non-ouat) stories that I want/need to update at some point. I promise I'm not abandoning this, it just may take me a while to update.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the chapter :)

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, the first thing Emma noticed was that she and her mother were alone in the apartment.

"Where are David and Henry?" she asked as she made her way over to the table where her mother was currently sitting.

"Granny's for breakfast, and then I'm not sure. I think they were going to have a boys' day out," Snow answered. "What are your plans for the day?"

"I'm having lunch with Neal," Emma revealed.

"Henry seems more optimistic than ever that you two will get back together."

"I was afraid of that."

"Why? Don't you want to be with Neal?" Snow wondered.

"I do, it's just…I don't want Henry to get his hopes up in case things don't work out between Neal and me," Emma replied with a sigh.

"I think he knows that, but I also think he inherited my optimism."

"I know he did."

Snow reached over and took her daughter's hands in hers before she spoke again.

"I know how much you love Neal. I understand because that's how I feel about your father. I also know that this isn't an easy path for either you or Neal, but I have faith you two can make it work. I'm always here if you want to talk, even when you eventually find your own place."

"Thanks," Emma replied with a smile, giving her mother's hands a gentle squeeze before releasing them and changing the topic. "So now you're okay with me moving out?"

Snow laughed at Emma's teasing tone of voice before she gave her answer.

"I've had some time to think about it, and yes, I'm okay with it. As long as it's not back to New York, that is. We expect regular visits, though."

"I think I can handle that."

* * *

Walking into the diner later that afternoon, Emma took a deep breath to calm her nerves before looking around for Neal. His back was to her and he was holding a cup in his hands. With a small smile, she quickly made her way over to him.

"Hi," she greeted as she slid into the booth across from him.

"Hi," Neal returned with a smile.

"How long have you been here?"

"Not long. I'm staying next door at the inn, so it's not like I had far to go."

"Good point."

"I ordered hot chocolate with cinnamon for you, I hope you don't mind," Neal told her, gesturing to the cup sitting in front of her.

"You remembered," Emma said with a smile as she picked up the cup.

"I remember everything about you."

"I'm beginning to think you really do."

"Rumor has it Henry likes his hot chocolate the same way."

"He does," Emma confirmed. "He's with David right now."

"Why don't you refer to them as your mom and dad? I've heard you call them your parents, but never mom and dad."

Emma set her cup down before she spoke again.

"The last people I called that abandoned me. They gave me back. I wasn't good enough to be their daughter. It's difficult for me to associate those names with David and Mary Margaret."

"I understand."

"I know it hurts them, but I can't help how I feel. I'm not ready to call them mom and dad yet. Not all the time."

"I'm sure they don't hold that against you. You told them about your time in the foster system, didn't you?"

"Yes. Well, I told Mary Margaret. She told David everything after Regina's curse broke."

"Speaking of parents, I've been wracking my brain about how to get my father and his dagger away from the witch."

"Zelena."

"Right."

"What happened back in the enchanted forest? What did you do that almost resulted in your death?"

"I was desperate to get back to you and Henry. I was tired of being separated from you, I wanted my father back, and I got frustrated. I acted irrationally and I immediately regretted it. I honestly didn't think it would be a life-for-a-life thing."

"Any clues on how to go about rescuing your father?"

"Well, the dagger controls him. So I think we should concentrate on getting that away from Zelena first. If she still has the dagger, she can make him do whatever she wants."

"How do we get the dagger away from her?"

"I'm not sure. That's the problem."

Emma nodded, sitting back in her seat with a sigh.

"Is it too much to ask to not have to worry about the next evil creature or how to break the next curse for just a little while? I didn't ask for this."

"I know," Neal sympathized. "I understand. I don't think it's too much to ask to want a normal life, and maybe once we defeat this witch, we can find a way to have that. For a little while anyway. Our lives will never be completely normal."

"I'm sorry for dragging you back into this," Emma said softly, looking down as she spoke.

"You didn't drag me into anything. I'm here willingly. This life might not be normal, but it's still a hell of a lot better than what I had in New York."

Emma looked up from her cup to meet Neal's eyes before she spoke again.

"Do you mean that?"

"Of course I do," Neal immediately replied.

"Good. If you didn't, I'd have to kick your ass."

Unable to help himself, Neal began to laugh, which in turn made Emma smile.

"You know, I think you have more of your mom in you than you think," he told her with a grin. "According to Henry's book, she was pretty badass herself."

"I've heard stories, too. Henry begged them one night to tell him stories about the enchanted forest. He's fascinated with the place."

"That sounds like him," Neal agreed.

Before either could say anything else, Ruby brought them their food and they began to eat, their conversation picking back up effortlessly.

* * *

After lunch with Neal, Emma went to see the other person she had things to talk about with-Regina.

"Emma," Regina said as she opened the door, clearly surprised to see the other woman. "Is Henry okay?"

"He's fine. He's with David. I have some things I wanted to talk to you about, one of which does include Henry."

"Um, sure, come on in. I was just making some lasagna."

"Are you expecting company?" Emma asked as she followed Regina into the house.

"No, but sitting idle has never been something I've been very good at, so I needed something to keep me busy. Now, what's this about Henry?"

"I don't think it's safe for him to go back to school here. There's too much of a possibility of Zelena finding him and taking him. Mary Margaret offered to home school him so he doesn't fall behind."

"How does Henry feel about that arrangement?" Regina wondered as she and Emma took seats across from each other at the table.

"He was pretty excited about it. She always was his favorite teacher. I told him I'd have to talk to you and Neal first before we made an official decision," Emma replied.

"You asked Neal's opinion?"

"Yes. He's Henry's father. He should have a say in what goes on in his son's life."

"You've certainly changed your tune since the last year," Regina noticed.

"I'm not the only one," Emma countered.

"I don't want Henry to fall behind. He's already missed a couple of weeks, though. Will that be a problem?"

"I don't think so. I can get in touch with his teachers in New York and Mary Margaret will work with him to get him to where he needs to be. It's no more than he missed in the last couple of years, with all the curses and everything."

"Good point. Can I ask what Neal's reaction to the idea was?"

"He's on board with it; he thinks it's a good idea."

"You said there were multiple things you needed to talk to me about. Now that Henry's education situation is settled, what else can I help you with?"

"Is there a way to conjure more housing?" Emma wondered.

Regina was silent as she thought about Emma's question. Finally, she shrugged.

"I honestly don't know," she replied. "I can try. I didn't create the first curse, I only cast it. This one Zelena cast. It seems we brought along a few others along with us this time around."

"Speaking of the curse, Neal thinks we should work on getting Rumplestiltskin's dagger back first."

"It's not a bad idea," Regina admitted. "I just don't know how to go about executing it."

"Can't you use your magic to…you know…fling it away from her?" Emma asked, making the motion with her hand as she spoke.

"I…don't think that will work. But you may be on to something."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, our answer probably lies in using magic…but it won't work if it's either of us. It has to be someone she doesn't know is alive. Someone Rumplestiltskin doesn't know is alive."

"Neal."

"Yes. He needs to stay hidden until the right moment. I think I can make some potions to help us. If he's willing to use them, that is."

"I'll talk to him. You work on those potions," Emma decided as she stood. "I need to check on Henry and my parents."

"I'll get some of that lasagna for Henry. It's his favorite."

Emma was silent for a moment as she contemplated her next words.

"Why don't you bring it over yourself? I'll call Neal and we'll surprise Henry with a family dinner."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. He'll love it. See you around five," Emma replied before she left the room, leaving a speechless Regina in her wake.

* * *

"What's going on? Why are there so many place settings?" Henry demanded, noticing that the old kitchen table had been replaced temporarily replaced by a larger one and that there were six place settings instead of the expected four.

"It's a surprise," Snow told him with as smile.

"Who's coming over?"

"I can't tell you. I've been sworn to secrecy."

Henry frowned, determined to figure out what was going on. He opened his mouth to ask his grandparents more questions when he heard the door open. Turning around to greet his mother, he was surprised to see his other two parents standing on either side of her.

"Is this the surprise?" he managed to ask.

"Surprise, kid," Emma said with a smile, watching as Henry quickly made his way over to his father to hug him tightly.

"Is that lasagna?" Henry asked, moving over to where Regina stood.

"Yes," Regina replied. "Is that okay?"

"It's great."

"Here, I can take that," Neal volunteered, taking the container from Regina and bringing it into the kitchen, Emma following close behind.

"I missed you," Regina said as she hugged her son.

"You just saw me yesterday," Henry reminded her as he pulled back.

"Is there a certain amount of time that has to pass before you can miss someone?"

Henry shrugged before turning to walk back into the kitchen, motioning for Regina to follow him.

* * *

After dinner, Emma talked with Neal as they sat on her bed together, the two of them plus David and Snow having been told they weren't needed to help with the clean-up. After saying goodnight to Regina, Snow had gone upstairs to rest, with David following close behind, making sure she was okay.

"I talked to Regina about more housing," Emma revealed as they settled next to each other on the bed.

"Yeah? What did she say?" Neal asked.

"She said she could try…but she wasn't sure."

"We could always build something."

"Isn't that being a little presumptuous?" Emma wondered, though her heart had skipped a beat when Neal had said 'we' instead of 'I'.

"Maybe, but I don't care," Neal replied. "I love you. I want us to be a family-you, me, and Henry. Maybe another kid or two down the line."

"Neal…"

"Emma…"

"You can't say things like that."

"Why not?"

"Because they might not happen," Emma said, turning her head to look at him. "What if we can't work through everything? What then? I can't get my hopes up again. It hurts too much."

"We _will_ get through everything. I'm not leaving you again, Emma. I promise."

"Even if I asked you to use magic again?" Emma inquired softly.

"What do you mean…use magic again?"

Emma sighed before she explained the plan she and Regina had come up with earlier.

"What do we do if that doesn't work?" Neal wondered.

"I don't know. Regina and I both have magic… so maybe if we work together again, we can get it away from her. Maybe we could get some of that special fairy dust from mother superior."

"What special fairy dust?"

"We used it to paralyze Regina…well, we tried, but she'd been tricked by it before, so she kind of saw it coming and it didn't work. As far as I know, Zelena doesn't know about it."

"Who would use it, though? If she knows about you, me, and Regina, who else is left?"

"A fairy? I don't know. Maybe Tinkerbell? She seemed pretty willing to help us in Neverland."

"She'd probably do it," Neal agreed. "We just need to get that fairy dust."

"I'll talk to mother superior tomorrow."

"You mean the blue fairy."

"Yeah, her."

Neal chuckled at Emma's reluctance to use the fairytale land names. He didn't blame her, but he enjoyed teasing her about it nonetheless.

* * *

"Do you think Belle would let me borrow some books from the library even though it's not open yet?" Henry asked his mother as she handed him a dish to dry.

"If you ask nicely, I'm sure she would. Are you looking forward to starting school again?"

"Yeah, except for the homework part."

Regina smiled as she began to clean another dish.

"I'm sure you'll survive. You survived the homework assignments when your grandmother was your teacher before."

"Good point," Henry conceded as he put the now-dry dish on the top of the stack. Hearing his father laugh, he turned his head to see his parents sitting together, talking and laughing. Turning back to Regina, he asked his next question. "Do you think they'll get back together?"

Regina turned her head to look at the two people sitting on the bed together.

"I think they've already chosen to, they just don't know it yet," she answered, handing him another dish.

Satisfied with that answer, Henry filled Regina in on the list of things he wanted to study that he had been asked to make while she made suggestions of her own.

* * *

Later that night, as he walked to the kitchen to get his wife the glass of water she'd requested, David noticed a few things. The first of which was that the kitchen looked spotless-as if it hadn't been touched since the last time it had been cleaned. Then he noticed that his grandson was sound asleep on the couch rather than his mother's bed, where he usually slept, and that he'd also lost his blanket at some point.

As he took the blanket off of the floor and re-covered Henry, he noticed that Neal's shoes were still by the door. Glancing over at his daughter's bed, he saw that both Neal and Emma were fast asleep. Neal had his arms around Emma as she pillowed her head on his shoulder and had her arm draped over his chest. Noticing that they had fallen asleep on top of the covers, David took a blanket off of a nearby chair and gently covered them up before getting the glass of water Snow had requested and making his way back upstairs.

"Is everyone asleep?" Snow asked, taking the glass from her husband and taking a sip.

"Yes. All three of them," David replied with a smile as he slid back into the bed.

"All three of them?"

"Henry, Emma, and Neal."

"I had a feeling he'd stay. I hope he and Emma work things out. I can tell he makes her happy and vice versa. Plus Henry is in seventh heaven having both of his mothers and his father here."

"It's nice having our daughter and grandson back, and it's clear to me that Neal cares about both of them."

"He just up and left his life in New York to come here and help Emma, to try to bond with Henry. I think this is one of those cases when actions speak louder than words."

"Me, too. Now let's go back to sleep."

Snow nodded, taking another sip of water before lying back down beside her husband and falling back asleep, a small smile playing on her lips. Just as she suspected, Neal had fit right in with their family, like he was always meant to be a part of it. It just made her even more convinced that he and Emma were meant to be. Not that she'd ever had any doubts. She knew from the moment she met him that he was perfect for her daughter, but she had kept that as her little secret. They were the ones who needed to be convinced that they were meant to be together forever and not just the short time they'd had together when they were younger.


End file.
